The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-29
ROASTED INDIANS.
CREMATION AS PRACTIcE0 BY The
rHIINKEfS OF ALASKA.
Providing the spirit with square Meal
A Corpse Awaiting Burial-weird Scene
., ,h. Fnnersi-How the Cremation IL
Conducted.

Among those Indians known as the
/ Thlinkeis. who inhabit the coast and con-
ticuous islands of southeastern Alaska,
the practice Of cremation is universal, ex-
cent i'm the case Of smmans or medicine
men. whose spirits after death inhabit
higher world apart from the common
| herd. and slaves who are CONSIDERED
scarcely worthy OF this distinction.
The Thlinket believes that shortly be
! fore death the spirit Of some lovekfriend
gone before will appear to him, saying;
| "Ny dear brother, or good friend, you can
| last but a few suns longer, and II Is best
ca for life is but hard. 80 be ready, for
will soon come 10 lead your spirit TO
| land where all is happiness.
With the last breath iidings 90 out to
/ tho clan who assemble with blackened
| faces 10 mourn rhc dead, and IN former
wears the nearer relatives cut OF the haIr.
! The corpse is now dressed in the most
valued garments, the face decorated IN
| red and black. and placed in sitting po-
/ sition. with back 10 the wall. opposite the
entrance All the property Of the de
ceased is now brought and piled on either
| hand-the Thlinket counts his wealth IN
I blankets. kept stored away in camphor
wood OF cedar chests Masks, rattles,
robes guns. hunting and fishing impie-
ments and dancing paraphernalia are
/ placed directly around; the head is sur
/ mounted by grotesquely carved wooden
| maek in tOtemic design, brilliant IN It's IN
LAYING of holiotis shell and topped by
| semi TRANSPARENT forest Of sea lion whisk-
ers while over the body is thrown
| highly ornamental blanket, woven from
the finer fleece of the mountain goat and
worked in black. white, yellow and blue
from old pattern boards that have been
/ handed down through generations until
the designs have become conventional
For three DAYS the dead remains a silent
spectator Of household affairs, which have
| 10 90 on much a. usual as a number OF
/ families live under the same roof Wis
ltors come and 90. food is prepared az the
common central fire, aud children toddle
about. tumbling over the sleeping dogs
but a general air Of quiet prevails until
niphtfall when the tribe assemble with
drum. rattle and dancing sticks, and 10
their measured accompaniment keep time
| in mOnotonous chant, eulOgizing aud Ia
menting the dead
The scene is weird 10 a degree, the many
coored blankets the blackened faces, the
walls hung with arms and fishing imple-
ments the curOusly carved and cOlOred
house posts while festOOns Of dried fish
and meat depend from the roof, and all
seen through the fitful flashes OF the great
cracking fire OF cedar logs over which at
intervals oil IS dashed 10 redouble the
effect
For three nights this scene is repeated,
but on the third day the wealth Of the de
ceased is distributed among the relatives.
each one receiving a certain portion, a.
judged by popular consent
The funeral pyre IA now erected directly
in rear Of the house or on the outskirts Of
the village, IN proximity 20 the shore.
Logs of the fragrant yellow cedar are now
brought and laid upon each other, forming
a hollow parallelogram seven feet long by
three wide At "A height Of from two 10
three feet a flooring of logs is laid. leaving
air spaces between them. above which the
walls are continued for another foot. Be
meath the flooring and around the sides
kindling aud spruce knots. saturated with
gum, are placed.
All being in readiness. on this the
fourth day. the class assemble. a plank
| is removed from the side or end " the
| house. and through this opening the dead
| is carried on mat made from the inner
| bark of the red cedar. for IL is strongly
rooted superstition among these people
that should the body pass through the
| doorway. that later the death spirit would
return 20 claim more victims. As the
| body is carried out an old woman takes
! 4 g.. fss..r.
| the fire and scatters them after IL. 10 drive
away the spirit OF death and cleanse the
/ passageway. and afterward throws out
/ dog 10 accompany its masters spirit 10 the
world beyond.
The procession now makes lts way
| slowly toward the place selected for Gre
nation. and when reached the body Is
deposited on the raised flooring Of the
pyre and torch applied 10 the resinous
| splinters readily ignitng the whole mass.
The women in full dancing habiliments,
| consisting Of blue black blanket faced
with red cloth and ornamented with hun
dreds Of mother Of pearl buttons, fancy
| colored caps or headdresses OF raven or
eagle feathers immense earrings and nose
| pendants. faces blackened and carrying
| i'm the right hand a long pole, the end
decorated with sprigs Of evergreen and
bright streamers. form in half circle
about the head Of the pile The men,
with dancing sticks ana rattles, are
grouped On one side. The nearer rela-
tives sit about promiscuously, moaning
and wailing. The older men lead the
Chant or dirge, which Is joined in by all,
and to it, slow notes the women keep
time with the body swaying from side TO
side and bowling in unison, reminding one
OF the famous sword dance Of the BedOu-
ins.
Oftentimes the arms and personal be-
lOngings of the deceased are thrown on
the fire which. 10y means Of long poles,
is constantly stirred, and the chant con-
tnues until the body is reduced 10 ashes
and the logs consumed The family col
lect any remains OF bones and the sup
posed ashes which are carefully deposited
in small decorated boxes or trunks Gov
cred with cedar mating, corded with
spruce roots, and finally placed in dead
houses or family vaults directly in rear Of
the houses.
Every one now returns 10 the house,
where grand feast is prepared, consist
ing of dried salmon dipped in seal oil, her
ring spawn, potatoes, roots, berries, edible
sea weed. shell fish, seal meat and tallOw
81. -.